LogFAQs > #971392251

It's hard to say when wrestling was at its "best." I've no reason to go back and watch the wrestling of the 60s and 70s beyond the novelty or wanting to see some of the greats that were before my time. I'll never be able to watch an episode by episode account and follow the storylines that were ongoing; much less be able to do so and avoid spoilers.

In my lifetime, I would say the late 90s were the best period. Though they had one problem which more or less guaranteed the decline of wrestling in general: instant gratification. In the 80s, you didn't know how the match would end or who would win it. It might end in a count out, it might end in a disqualification, it might end in a roll-up, or it might end with the wrestler hitting his or her finisher. From the 90s onward, the overwhelming majority of matches end with a finishing maneuver or a disqualification due to outside interference.

In the short term, that's more exciting. In the long run, it conditions the audience to know exactly when the match is going to end. You can hit a DDT from the rafters. If that is not your finisher, there is a 100% chance your opponent is kicking out. If you want to tease a finish before the match is over, you need to have a wrestler kick out of a finisher - thereby devaluing the finisher in the process. And that still doesn't change the fact that you know the match is going to end with a specific move.